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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The city of Tyler lost a beloved resident with the |
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| 6 | 7 | | death of Robert Frank Faulkner on August 28, 2018, at the age of 96; |
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| 7 | 8 | | and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Bob Faulkner was born to Sterry and Inez Faulkner on |
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| 9 | 10 | | January 16, 1922, in Duncan, Oklahoma, and he grew up in Electra, |
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| 10 | 11 | | Texas, where he graduated from high school; he was an Eagle Scout, |
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| 11 | 12 | | and he took part in the very first National Scout Jamboree in 1937; |
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| 12 | 13 | | answering his nation's call to duty, he served in the U.S. Army Air |
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| 13 | 14 | | Corps in the Pacific during World War II; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Faulkner attended the University |
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| 15 | 16 | | of Oklahoma, where he lettered in tennis and earned a bachelor's |
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| 16 | 17 | | degree in mechanical engineering; in 1948, he settled in Tyler, and |
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| 17 | 18 | | he went on to become one of the first air conditioning engineers in |
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| 18 | 19 | | East Texas; in 1975, he earned a U.S. patent for a solar panel; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, A gifted tennis player, Mr. Faulkner cofounded the |
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| 20 | 21 | | Tyler Tennis and Swim Club, established the Faulkner Tennis Center |
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| 21 | 22 | | at Faulkner Park, and served as a volunteer tennis coach for the |
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| 22 | 23 | | Tyler schools; he also sponsored an awards dinner for local |
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| 23 | 24 | | players, and he was the host of the U.S. Tennis Association's Bob |
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| 24 | 25 | | Faulkner Super Champ Major Zone tennis tournament every summer; a |
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| 25 | 26 | | serious golfer as well, he was a longtime member of the Willow Brook |
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| 26 | 27 | | Country Club and a cofounder of Hollytree Country Club and |
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| 27 | 28 | | Briarwood Country Club, where he was golf champion for three years; |
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| 28 | 29 | | he played Santa Claus each Christmas at several children's homes |
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| 29 | 30 | | for half a century, and he helped establish the Historic Aviation |
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| 30 | 31 | | Memorial Museum at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport; and |
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| 31 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Faulkner was married to Gloria Beth Weatherall |
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| 32 | 33 | | for nearly seven decades, until her death, and they were the parents |
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| 33 | 34 | | of two daughters, Karen and Buffie; Mr. Faulkner was later blessed |
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| 34 | 35 | | with four grandchildren, Robert, Richard, Courtney, and James, and |
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| 35 | 36 | | five great-grandchildren, Molly, John, Richard, Andrew, and Sarah; |
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| 36 | 37 | | a man of strong religious faith, he attended Marvin United |
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| 37 | 38 | | Methodist Church for 70 years, serving on the board of stewards, as |
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| 38 | 39 | | chair of the property committee, as a Sunday school teacher, and as |
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| 39 | 40 | | scoutmaster of Troop No. 336; and |
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| 40 | 41 | | WHEREAS, A devoted family man and an esteemed leader in his |
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| 41 | 42 | | community, Bob Faulkner lived a rich and purposeful life, and he |
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| 42 | 43 | | leaves behind a record of good works that will long be remembered in |
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| 43 | 44 | | Tyler; now, therefore, be it |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 45 | 46 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Robert Frank |
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| 46 | 47 | | Faulkner and extend heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends; |
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| 47 | 48 | | and, be it further |
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| 48 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 49 | 50 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 50 | 51 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Robert |
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| 51 | 52 | | Frank Faulkner. |
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